Small Stature, Giant Ambition: Edmonds College’s Yusleny Rangel Fights for Gold in Peru
06/24/26
Standing tall with remarkable determination, Edmonds College student Yusleny Rangel is a force of nature on the Taekwondo mat. The 19-year-old pre-nursing student is set to represent the United States at the 2026 FISU America Games in Lima, Peru, showcasing the incredible power and discipline she brings to every competition.
Rangel’s journey to the Collegiate Pan-American Games is a historic one. She is one of only five athletes from the Seattle area to earn a spot on the U.S. National Collegiate Taekwondo Team, and she is the only female from the region.
Standing 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing in at 101 pounds, Rangel competes in the smallest weight class (46kg) and emerged from the National Collegiate Team trials in Fresno, Calif., on April 3 as one of two competitors who earned the right to compete in Peru. She will join Caliana Fonseca of Cal State Northridge to form the 46-kg competitors on the USA Team.
Taekwondo has been the central pillar of Rangel’s life since she was five years old. After a brief stint in ballet, she followed a childhood friend into the martial arts and never looked back, earning her black belt by age 10. Now a third-degree black belt and a two-time U17 National Champion, her ultimate dream is the Olympics.
"Taekwondo is all I know," she says. "It helps with self-confidence and mental strength because you have to be mentally strong in a lot of different situations."
Making the national team is not just a feat of athleticism, but one of extreme discipline. Rangel balances a schedule that would exhaust most. Her day begins with 6 a.m. training sessions at Master Cho’s Taekwondo in Lynnwood. From there, she rushes to Edmonds College for a full load of pre-nursing classes, including challenging labs and clinicals for her CNA certification.
After school, her responsibilities continue at home in Everett, where she helps care for her younger brother and assists in her mother’s housecleaning business. Her day often ends with a second training session at 7:30 p.m. Twice a week, including every Saturday, she travels to Tacoma to train with the Twin Tigers Taekwondo fight team under Master Daniel Ramirez, a retired U.S. Army Veteran and national champion.
“I’m very thankful for my coaches, Master Ramirez, Master Cho (Ki Song Cho), and Master Joshua Cho,” Rangel says. “They have opened their dojangs to me, and their support has been instrumental in getting me where I am today.”
Unlike many collegiate athletes at larger universities, Rangel does not have a scholarship or a massive athletic department to foot the bill. Taekwondo is not an official varsity sport at Edmonds, meaning her journey is almost entirely self-funded. From plane tickets to Peru to tournament registration fees, the costs are paid out of pocket.
The mental toll can be as heavy as the financial one. After a recent disappointing performance at the CONADE National Games in Mexico, Rangel admitted she briefly considered giving up.
"I was thinking about giving up because I wasn't getting the results I should be getting," she shared.
Two weeks after struggling in Mexico, Master Ramirez had Rangel back in the saddle and competing at a regional tournament. Rangel emerged as the champion of her weight class, which both invigorated her and provided the necessary confidence as she prepares for the Pan-Am Games.
“It cleared any doubt that I had on my mind,” she said. “It’s not worth it to quit over something that’s just part of the process.”
How to Help
Master Ramirez has organized a fundraiser to help cover the $4,000 needed for travel and competition expenses. So far, she has raised just over $1,000 toward her goal.
By supporting Rangel, donors are not just funding a trip; they are supporting a local student who embodies the tenets of Taekwondo: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and an indomitable spirit.
"I think that with adequate preparation and the support that I've had behind me throughout the years, it's going to be a very good competition for me," she says.
To support Rangel’s journey to Lima, Peru, you can visit her fundraising page to donate or share her story.